


Survival guide to Forks, USA. Or, Bella meets the Cullen's

by Vasilisian



Series: The Adventures of the Cullens aka, I attempt to fix Twilight [2]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: (She comes from Nashville now, Bella is awkward but also southern, F/M, First Meetings, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, I gave the Cullens better cars because a Volvo is not sexy or cool, Only reason, The infamous biology scene, along with the way SMayer did all the female characters dirty, also, and as such she is incapable of not being polite in some way, because I want her to have a southern accent), but written by me, especially not a 2005 volvo, her and Jasper are going to be southern buddies, no i don't know how to spell her name and it's not worth looking up, the thing being fixed is racism and some of Edwards worse habits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23461378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vasilisian/pseuds/Vasilisian
Summary: Bella has been back in Forks for less than two days now, and already things aren't going as she thought. Charlie gave her a truck (it's big, loud and looks like crap. she loves it), the people at her school actually want to be her friends, and there is a group of mysterious students that look like models yet feel wrong.Then she meets a boy in her biology class that looks at her like she's shit stuck to his shoe. And that's where it all started, although she didn't know it at the time.
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale
Series: The Adventures of the Cullens aka, I attempt to fix Twilight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682995
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Biology. Or, Bella meets Edward. Edward does not meet Bella because he's an impolite asshole and doesn't introduce himself

By the time I got to my biology class, my head was spinning. Several people had tried to befriend me at lunch, something that had never happened before. Not to mention that group of students, weirdly pale and beautiful and bright, for some reason. The brightest things she'd seen since coming to Forks. Everything was dull here, she blamed the perpetual rainy clouds that hug heavy in the sky.

And then I walked into the classroom, late because things could never go my way, and there was another one. Just as pale, beautiful and bright, nearly glowing under the lights of the classroom. God, were they angels or something? He looked over, and I didn't notice eyes, they were small and always looked the same at a distance, but if I didn't know any better I'd say they were fully black.

The fan behind me turned, blowing my hair into my face, and the guy jerked his eyes away, clapping a hand over his mouth like he was about to throw up. I looked around, wondering if anyone else had noticed his weird behavior. They hadn't, but I did see that the only free seat was the one next to him.

Great.

I moved along the desks, smiling awkward at the few people that greeted me. Dropping my bag next to the desk, I sat down and bought time by pulling out my pencil case. But Renee would kill me if I just ignored the guy, and he was kinda mesmerizing, so I gathered what little courage and energy I had left and turned to him.

“Hi, I'm Bella.” He hunched in on himself, acting like I hadn't said a word. Nodding awkwardly, I turned back to face the front of the class, using my hair as a curtain to hide behind. Awesome, he hated me. Great going Bella, you've alienated the hot guy you sit next to in biology with just an introduction.

The class seemed to drag on, my focus drifting despite my best attempts. His every move caught my attention and I found my eyes lingering on the smallest thing, like the way his shirt rested on his collarbones or the lock of hair he'd missed in his styling that the lack of gel making it look softer than the rest. By the time the bell rang, my notebook had only a few scribbles in it and I couldn't even remember what the class had been about.

And I couldn't even try to talk to the guy again because he shot out of his seat and left the moment class was over.

Sighing tiredly, I followed the stream of students into the parking lot. The truck Charlie had given me stood out amongst the rest of the cars like a sore thumb in size, color and age. But a different set of cars grabbed my attention, three brand new ones lined up in a row with the Cullen's standing around them looking like models.

Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale stood by a sporty Audi, while Rosalie and Emmett Cullen were leaning against a large Jeep wrangler. The third car was another sport model, a Mercedes, and I already knew who it belonged to even before the guy from biology walked up to it. Rich as well as gorgeous. I should have known he was out of my league the moment I first saw him.

After all, I was just Bella, the weird girl from Nashville with the old truck and he was the mystery Cullen with a new Mercedes and model looks. Even if he was interested, which biology had made clear he wasn't, it could never end well.

(Later she'd think back and laugh at that thought. She'd been right, yet still so wrong. Life was like that.)


	2. Chapter 2

I was losing my damn mind.

I knew this, because I couldn't stop thinking about Edward. At first I thought it was just because he was so weird and rude, then I convinced myself it was a crush. But it had been a week since he'd driven off in that stupid Mercedes and disappeared, yet my obsession only grew the longer he was away. Since this wasn't a sane reaction to have over a guy who hadn't even said a word to me, I could only assume I'd lost it.

Or I was sick. I was almost tempted to Google it, except I knew what it would tell me. Lovesick, crush, love at first sight, blah blah blah. I didn't believe in any of that stuff and there was no way this was natural. People don't just become obsessed like this over nothing.

Drumming my fingers nervously on the wheel, I slowly moved through the parking lot, searching for a spot. A few rows over, the customary crowd had formed around the Cullen's' cars, although it looked a bit bigger than usual. Maybe Rosalie had brought a different car today. She seemed like the type to have more than one car despite being in high school.

–

I'd somehow managed to become friends with Angela and Jessica despite my general awkwardness and the many times I blurted out something serious to a light question. Eric tended to stick by Angela's side, bothering her about the school paper, and Mike... Mike followed me around like a clingy puppy that I did my best to ignore. But they seemed to like me as more than just a curiosity. That it had taken moving across the country to find people that tolerated me would be annoying if I wasn't so grateful.

“So what's it like?” I blinked, looking up from my cold fries to see all four of them looking at me.

“Um, sorry, whatya say?” Eric snorted at my accent, prompting Angela to hit his arm.

“Stop making fun of her, it's just an accent. But Bella, what Jessica was asking is what Nashville is like. Non of us have ever been to such a big city before, not to mention the climate...” I shifted in my seat under the attention, but it was such a simple question that I felt stupid thinking of trying to dodge it. They were making an effort, least I could do was return it.

“Well, it's um, very hot. But not that dry? It's not like in Phoenix, a lot less like a desert. It's kinda like breathing in steam when the humidity gets high.”

“God, that sounds horrible. I'd hate to live there.” Jessica interrupted, propping her chin on one hand, her elbow only a few inches from her lunch. I decided to ignore her and keep going, because despite everything I loved the city I grew up in.

“If you ever visit, you have to go to at least a few honky-tonks, you haven't been to Nashville if you don't. There's this one that has this awesome hot chicken place right next to it, although Prince's is still the best for that. There's also a ton of other things to do, although it's all about country music, so if that's not...” I trailed off, noticing Jessica's open mouth and Angela's raised eyebrows.

“Wow. That's the most I've heard you say in one go since ever. You must really like the place.” I could feel my cheeks flush at Jessica's comment and I sunk into my seat.

“Hey, that's not a bad thing! I'm glad you like your hometown so much, I don't think I could ever talk about Forks with that kind of passion.” Angela was quick to reassure. The only reason I saw her kick Jessica in the foot was because I was quite firmly looking at the ground.

“I meant the same thing! It's cute to see you so passionate about something.” That only worsened my blush until it felt like my entire face had caught fire. Then Mike spoke up, and it was as if a bucket of cold water was dumped over my head.

“Well I think she should blush more often. She's paler than us, it's like she's dead or something.”

“Mike!” Angela scolded, throwing some of my cold fries at him.

“What? It's true! She's like, really pale!” He looked actually surprised at Angela's reaction, gesturing wildly with his hands in my direction.

“It's super rude to say that to a girl, you jerk. I'm sorry Bella, he just doesn't know any better sometimes.” She put her hand on my arm, which brought the blush back in full force.

“It's- It's alright, I know I look like a vampire.” Mom had compared me to one enough times that it didn't bother me anymore. That I liked my steaks extra-rare only encouraged her.

–

Walking into Biology with Eric, my world tilting to the side for a split second the moment I saw _him_ sitting next what what had become my spot. I nearly froze on the spot, something in my chest I hadn't even realized had been tense relaxed when he glanced over at me. Then reality took over again, and I determinedly strode over and took my seat. I wouldn't let his looks intimidate me into acting like some shy, love-struck teenager.

“Hello. I'm sorry about ignoring you last week, that was rude of me. I'm Edward.” He smiled stiffly at me, but the thing that caught my attention was his eyes. The black eyes that had haunted me for the past week had somehow brightened into a golden amber. I blinked my way out of my daze and smiled back, although I could tell it was as stiff as his.

“Um, hi. It's fine, we all have bad days.” We did manage stumble through some stilted conversation after that introduction, but for the most part he was pretty silent, just a whole lot more polite than last week. Also, we ended up wining the onion, the weirdest prize I'd ever received, and it was bewilderment alone that made me carry it with me out of class once the bell rang.

That he walked out with me was also incredibly confusing, since last week I was pretty sure he hated me. But when we stopped by my locker, I decided to just go for it and ask the question that had been burning on my tongue the entire class.

“So do you wear contacts or something?”

“What?” He looked genuinely confused by the question, thick brows almost touching when he frowned.

“Your eyes. I could have sworn they were black last week, now they're this-” Don't say golden amber, _don't_ \- “Light yellow brown color.” Oh god, even _amber_ would have been better than that, I can't believe I just said that.

“Oh. It's a little, uh, stupid.” I kept looking at him, wishing not for the first time that I could raise just one eyebrow like Mom. When I raised both it just made me look like an startled deer.

“Emmett bet me I wouldn't wear black contacts to school.” That made a lot more sense than anything I'd been able to come up with in the past hour. I didn't share any classes with that particular Cullen brother, but somehow it sounded exactly like something he'd do.

“Whatya bet on?”

“He has to wear an all-white outfit for a whole week.” This conversation was explaining things I hadn't even wondered about. Jessica had been insulting his outfit in the cafeteria during the entirety of lunch today, way past the point any of us were interested. Or maybe that had just been me, those giggles from Angela might have been real.

“Huh. Alright.” Edward gave me another stiff smile and walked away. The only thing I could do was blink at his back in confusion and mild fury. I knew it had been a little awkward, but he'd just left in the middle of a conversation without even saying goodbye! Scoffing softly, I switched out by books, leaving the onion behind to take home after class ended. I could use it to make dinner tonight. Maybe spaghetti or something.

–

I woke up with freezing feet and a layer of snow of the ground the next morning, which put me in a terrible mood. Chugging the last of my tea, which was just hot enough to burn my tongue, I stomped out the door and off the porch. Sighing loudly, I prepared to spend the next thirty to forty minutes struggling with snow chains, only to freeze at the sight of my truck.

The windows had been cleared of frost and even from here I could see the gleam of the snow chains. Thinking back to the dirty coffee cup in the sink that hadn't been there last night, I suddenly choked up. Blinking away tears, I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, shuffling over to the drivers side. There was a brand new window scraper laying on the passenger seat, one of the nice metal ones with a good handle.

I'd managed to get to school both safely and on time, only having to pull over once when it felt like the tears were about to burst out. Grabbing my bag, I got out, slamming the door shut. I took a moment to check my bag, wanting to be sure that I had everything, when I heard a loud screeching noise. Looking up, I froze at the sight of a van rushing my way. In a split second I realized I wouldn't be able to move in time and my bag dropped from numb fingers as I curled up against my truck.

A loud crash deafened me, but the crushing pain never came. Opening my eyes, my trembling legs gave out and dropped me to the floor at the sight of the van just inches from me. Then I saw something that made no sense at all. Edward Cullen was crouched next to me, one hand on my truck, the other on the van, almost as if he'd stopped it. But that was impossible because no human could stop an out-of-control van with their bare hands.

He sighed in obvious irritation, as if  _saving my life_ was some great annoyance, and got up, leaving me sitting in the snow with wide eyes.

“Bella! Oh my god, are you okay?” Jessica's worried voice screeched through the air, just barely getting through my shock, and I must have made some kind of noise, because she came clambering over the hood of my truck in seconds.

“Oh thank god, you're alive! I saw the van heading for you and- come on, let's get you to the nurse, alright.” She grabbed my arms, trying to pull me up, and just barely struggled to my feet. Meeting her worried eyes, it finally sunk in that I'd just nearly died, and I didn't even try and stop the tears. Pulling her into a hug and burying my face in her shoulder, I sobbed as quietly as I could.

But even as I fell apart in the arms of my friend, I couldn't get the look in Edwards eyes when he'd looked at out of my head. I didn't recognize it, but it made something in me shiver in apprehension.


End file.
